Justice Delayed
by SweepBlackDust
Summary: Near's plans don't go as expected. Now a God, Light is pressured by responsibilities, underground crimes, and a ghost that won't go away. Justice delayed is justice denied... Slight suggested shonen-ai. Finished at last!
1. Quiet

_**Author Notes and Disclaimers: **_

_I do not own any of the Death Note characters mentioned in this story._

_I do not own the original idea of "Death Note"_

_I do own the alternate ending idea and the basic contents of this piece of writing._

_I have used the 'Americanized' versions of the names. "Light" instead of "Raito" for instance. I have also used the words "God" and "Eliminate" instead of "Kami" and "Sakujo". I have, however, used the occasional '-kun' or '-sama'. I think it's cute. I couldn't resist. ERK._

_I am Anti-Kira. Sorry, Kira supporters! I'm all for less crime but that is not the answer! Injecting people with fear does not make them a better person and thus hardly makes the world a better place. At least, I think so._

_Please don't reply to this story with your own opinion on the matter. Thanks!_

_Please enjoy the story, by the way. I hope you like it! _

_**NO FLAMERS. I'LL KEEL YOU.**_

The room was quiet… No, it wasn't quiet. It was loud. Thundering loud.

The ears of the inhabitants were thundering with the booming noises around them. The thumping hearts, shivering bodies full of anticipation, the occasional leaky drops or creeks of the warehouse, and of course, the curiosity screaming around everyone. Who would win? Who was Kira? What would happen here and why?

And when?

Well, Yagami Light knew exactly when. '40 seconds,' he told himself, heart pounding with excitement. His hazel eyes burned into his enemy's own. Those eyes reminded him of Ryuzaki. But they weren't Ryuzaki's eyes... they weren't even close. Ryuzaki had much more behind his eyes. He had a look that said, 'I carry many burdens and intend to carry more.' A tired, weakened look that still kept its fiery determination. Those were Ryuzaki's eyes. This boy before him... _Near_... had young eyes. He had the blank, emotionless orbs of Ryuzaki but he had the soul of a child who refused to completely grow up.

Then again, Ryuzaki was a lot like that himself.

"This is the moment of truth, Kira," smiled Near, twirling a piece of hair around his index finger. He was so ready to cuff Yagami Light and to have the sweet taste of a true victory on his lips. He was ready to lick the last bit of glory from his chin and to put the madness that was ensnaring the world to an end. He knew that he was the only one who could do it now.

Despite his sureness, Near was still wary. He knew that he would always have to be on his toes when dealing with such a serious killer. Though at this point, there was only one hope. He put all of his trust into the fake page that had been applied to Mikami's Death Note. With showing his face and entering such an enclosed area, he was jumping from a high point into a rope that he wasn't sure existed. But Near was ready to take such a chance.

They stared into each other. The room was loud but the voices were silent.

All voices were silent except a very faint mumble. Because of the stillness, everyone picked the sound up. Matsuda was the first to speak up, "Does anyone else hear something?"

Aizawa was watching Light from a safe distance with a burning intensity. However, he couldn't deny that he also heard something. "Yeah, I hear it too…"

Near smiled wildly, excited by the sound. "That's our special guest, L Team," he told them, addressing them with a play name. The 'L Team'. He wanted to laugh at the face that Light made at the pet name but he resisted the urge.

Light was also excited by the noise. He could understand what was being said. He heard: _**Eliminate. Eliminate. Eliminate.**_

His heart fluttered with joy as he kept his eyes connected with Near's. He wanted to watch the life leave them as he had watched Ryuzaki's.

"Outside this door," Near spoke, "Is Kira's accomplice. I expect he is writing our names as we speak." Near's team did not so much as flinch at this news. Yet Light's team jumped in fear, eyes darting to the door and straining to see what was going on behind it.

Light grinned softly at this and laughed, "Really? Kira, you say?"

"_**ELIMINATE!!!**_" came a shout from outside. It made everyone, including Near, to jump slightly. There was the sound of someone breathing heavily outside as though the person had just accomplished an impossible task or ran a rewarding few miles.

It was Mikami. His eyes were wide with a crazed, pleased look. His hands shook with sweat as they clutched the Death Note securely. At the name 'Kira,' he looked up and into the crack in the door, neurotic smile still plastered on his face. "God?" he chuckled, peering in deeper. "Kira-sama?"

"You out there," Light's voice cooed, catching Mikami's immediate attention. "Won't you come in? You've obviously finished writing everyone's name."

Teru Mikami's blood rushed throughout his body as he flung the door open, chuckling darkly. "He sure seems to take a shine to you, Light," Aizawa commented. Light didn't answer. He had to resist from any action. Just for a little while…

"Kira," snapped Near to Light, "I want you to know now that this man's Death Note was modified. Now tell me if you're as eager for the remaining twenty seconds as I am?" Near smirked, unable to contain himself any longer.

Light twitched a bit but he knew about the fake note. If they modified anything, it would have been the fake note. "Of course I am," Light answered, playing a collected smile.

At this, Mikami looked at his watch and began counting down the seconds as they passed agonizingly by. "_Fifteen_… _Fourteen_… _Thirteen_…"

The brunette suddenly grinned when he noticed a distressed look upon Near's face.

Everyone followed Near's wide eyes to the notebook in Mikami's hands. The dark haired man began to laugh insanely, holding the Death Note up high and ceasing his countdown. "What page did you edit, Nate?" he sneered, pointing to Near's name upon the paper. He was holding the notebook open on the last page available, presenting everyone's name to them excluding 'Yagami Light'. This page was far from the modified one.

Near shivered a bit and he fell forward onto his hands. He accidentally knocked away the small finger puppets of himself and Mello. He stared into the ground and realized that in an instant, he had lost.

"I decided to give them their own page for causing you so much trouble, My God!" Mikami declared, facing Light. "I put them right in the back, away from every filthy criminal ever written. This scum has caused you more grief than any worthless prisoner," he explained, proud of himself for making such an unpredictable move. Mikami had always been so organized and so neat with his dirty work. It was, obviously, a shock that he had changed paths so suddenly.

Everyone's eyes fell on Light. He held out his arms as though he expected them to fall into them and embrace him. Triumphant, he looked into Near's eyes once more. "It's my win," he said.

Near gasped, grabbing his chest and freezing up. He collapsed backwards; his body went motionless as it hit the damp ground.

Everyone quickly removed their guns with an unmatched speed just as Mikami threw himself into Light's arms. "God!" he exclaimed, tears running down his eyes.

"You've done well," Light told him, putting a hand on his head.

There was only time for a few shots from the police behind Light before they froze up and grabbed their hearts. The ones behind Near had already been stopped from attacking and were now laying on their backs; their eyes stared blankly at the creaking ceiling overhead.

Light still smiled, petting Mikami's head gently. In their haze of fear and shock, the officers had failed to hit their target and one by one fell back like dominos. Matsuda was the last one standing, his unsteady hand shaking. "How could you, Light-kun?!" he choked between his sobs. A pain began to shoot up his left arm.

"I am God, Matsuda. Address me as such," Light grinned, facing Matsuda with an air of supremacy. With one last cry, Matsuda took a shot and fell back.

The bullet left the gun's barrel with a deafening 'crack' before flying straight towards Light…

Then the room was silent. Even the creaking warehouse was quiet as were the hearts that no longer beat. The curiosity had left the air. All that was left was Yagami Light. The only person standing was Kira: God of the new world.

In his arms was Mikami. Eyes still wide with unconditional love and a pleased smile still on his face, he was limp in Light's embrace. "My shield until the end, weren't you?" Light whispered, setting the body down. He took the notebook from Mikami's jacket, patting it against his pant leg.

"Come on, Ryuk. This is where things get easy," he beaconed, motioning for the shinigami to follow. Ryuk had been watching with a heightened interest during the whole scene and was willing to finally accept that the excitement was over.

"That was very interesting," the Death God spoke, a smile on his face. He acted as though he had just seen the ending to a good movie. "Will there be more fun ahead?" he questioned.

"Of course, Ryuk. We've only just begun with our new era," Light replied, leaving the warehouse without a second glance.

This truly was the beginning of a new world, wasn't it? Kira smiled to himself.

He had won.

_That was __**chapter one**__ for you all! It was kind of a prologue to what's coming up next. Not much. It's going to be a short epilogue to what happens after the warehouse. I hope you enjoy everything that's coming up next! Please leave reviews; they boost my motivation!_


	2. Thinking

_**This is chapter two.**_

_**Author Notes and Disclaimers: **_

_I do not own any of the Death Note characters mentioned in this story._

_I do not own the original idea of "Death Note"_

_I do own the alternate ending idea and the basic contents of this piece of writing._

_I have used the 'Americanized' versions of the names. "Light" instead of "Raito" for instance. I have also used the words "God" and "Eliminate" instead of "Kami" and "Sakujo". I have, however, used the occasional '-kun' or '-sama'. I think it's cute. I couldn't resist. ERK._

_The Vote came up as slight yaoi. Suggested but not all out. This will be between L and Light._

_**NO FLAMERS. I'LL KEEL YOU.**_

Light was bored.

For once in his life, he was staring out the window with a defeated look. The streets below were so clean, the alleys were bright, the crowds were friendly and the air was positively fresh. But he frowned at it all. He had won the fights. He had won the war. At long last he was a God. He was an almighty, shining God that no one opposed. Children were being born every second all over the world celebrating Kira's name. It made him sick.

Light had people all over the world finding distant villages and civilizations that did not have contact with the outside worlds preaching about his ways. He was converting every and any horde of people to know of him and to love him. Wanting to be God of a new world meant the _world_. He wasn't going to settle on any percent less than one hundred.

But this didn't bring him joy any longer. He was stressed. People were always below him on their knees. They were begging and praying. Bugs. They reminded him of bugs. Crawling… slimy… worthless bugs. But as a God, he loved them all the same. He almost grinned slightly.

The grin was gone before it came. He was still troubled. The only crimes that went on now were underground crimes. They were serious murders, deadly drugs and threatening anti-Kira groups. It was difficult catching them. He was a detective, law enforcer, teacher, preacher, God and everything he could ever live up to at once.

One thing he wasn't, however, was Yagami Light. He was no longer who he had been. Seeing the life leave someone's eyes was only satisfying _once_. When he saw L collapse and slowly close his eyes, it was the equivalent to someone getting every chess piece knocked away before finally having their King cornered. Checkmate. So gratifying to defeat such a stubborn opponent.

Light realized that after such a game would never be played again now that he had gotten rid of his only equal. He had gotten rid of the only person who could match him. His worst enemy and closest friend.

When L had chained them together (he laughed at the thought) Light had realized the true meaning behind "_Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer_." Yet somehow, this made him feel depressed. Had L been telling the truth? Was he a friend or an enemy to L? Was L a friend or enemy to him?

After a bit of debating on his own part, Light decided that L had been a friend to him. When he had forgotten about being Kira, Light had seen L as a companion against crime as well as a worthy adversary. But it was the detective's own fault that he had died. He had gotten in the way of a better cause. Of true justice.

How dare he.

_Better off dead_, Light decided. Suddenly, he stood up, effectively knocking his chair back. Ryuk, who had been watching with interest at Light's dazed expression, jumped back. Light grabbed the side of his head angrily. He was thirty-two years old. It had been so many years ago yet L was still… _still_… on his mind. It had to stop.

"What's wrong, Light?" questioned Ryuk, cocking his head to one side. "Still upset about the anti-Kira groups?"

The brunette shook his head. It wasn't that. That was the smallest of his worries compared to L. It was as if the boy refused to leave the world under Kira's order. It made him sick. He had won after all. But this only made him think of the deceased detective more. Every time he dazed off and began thinking on one subject, he would find himself jumping between thoughts before completing even one subject. They would all, somehow, lead up to L. It was always L. Always, always, always it was L. A fear approached him slowly. He tried to make his mind not see it but with eyes wide open, he wondered, _Will it always be L forever_? He shuddered at the thought of being in old age and still thinking about L. It couldn't be that way. He'd have to find a way to get over him.

_HOLD IT_. Get over him? Light cringed, grabbing his arms. Was L really that much trouble? Getting over someone was one thing but he hadn't been aware that he was even troubled by L's death until that moment. Of course he had noticed L's constant presents within his daydreams but it hadn't occurred to him that, maybe, he was _upset_?

Shaking it all off, Light slapped himself mentally. He was complaining to himself about thinking of L and yet he continued to rant inside of his head concerning the man. Assuring himself that with time and effort, he would forget about L completely, he sat behind a long, sleek, dark wood desk. His back rested into a maroon, plush seat with a golden, old English "K" sewn in. His elbows rested on the desk delicately and his finger tips touched, arching his hands into a pyramid shape.

His eyes looked over the tops of his nails, staring into the wall opposite of him. "Light?" Ryuk repeated after the long pause, interrupting his view.

"Yes, Ryuk?" Light answered. The coldness in his voice surprised even him. It was bitter and icy. That wasn't how Kira should be.

"What's on your mind?" the Shinigami inquired, quirking his head slightly to the left. Light smiled warmly at the Death God. Ryuk hadn't changed the slightest bit. He wasn't anti-Kira nor was he pro-Kira. It was hard to tell because of his actions yet Light dealt with him fairly enough. "Light?" he asked again, curious as to whether or not Light was coming up with a plan of some sort.

"Nothing, Ryuk. I'm just… tired," he finally replied, nodding curtly Ryuk's way.

The Shinigami glanced outside at the sun which was still high up. It was four thirty at the latest. Sunlight showered in the window and over Light's desk, illuminating his brown eyes. Usually, Light truly looked like a God sitting like this and the sun brightening his glorious, self-assured features. Today, however, he looked grim and dark with glowing eyes. It was almost frightening. "Hey, Light. You gonna marry someone and get a successor, huh?" Ryuk chuckled, nearing Light with a wide grin on his face. It was partially an attempt to loosen him up.

But Light didn't smile. He answered, "No. Women waste my time." He suddenly recalled returning home triumphant, ready to hand Misa her Death Note and share the good news with her. Despite her constant interferences, he couldn't have done many things without her assistants. Yet he came back to discover that her body had been found at the foot of a skyscraper. A jumper. It had been suicide.

He remembered how it had looked on the news. Her outfit and pale expression made her truly seem like a broken doll. He had used her to her limit without properly caring for her. Like any precious, delicate toy, she had broken.

"I will find a successor. Someone like me. Someone like…" Light stared off. Someone like L? He didn't want to think that.

So he didn't.

He couldn't help but realize that the thought lingered in the corner of his mind, waiting for another chance to walk out quietly and surprise him once more.

…. It was just like L himself.

_Alright! Chapter over. VERY slight, slight yaoi. It'll be more suggestive next chapter. This is just Light messing with his thoughts. A bit of Ryuk for ya, too. Enjoy! Please review. It gives me a kick of motivation. 3 _


	3. Paranoia

_Here is the third chapter. We'll get more into plot I think. Oh, and thank you for those reviews! I know I didn't get many yet, but I've gotten a lot of watchers and stuff, too! That means a bunch! It's exciting! Anyway, let's continue. All disclaimers are on the first two chapters which you really should read __**first**__, neh?_

Light breathed a sigh of relief. The sun was caressing the horizon warmly, glistening away from sight. It was finally time to leave. Just to make sure, his eyes traveled toward the clock. Four minutes was his official time to leave.

His office was the place where people submitted their problems or where he was the first to hear about crimes under investigation. But today it was quiet; no news reached him. The perfect world was in perfect order. At least from what he knew of it. This, for now, was fine with him.

The new God pushed himself away from the desk and stood up straight. His back cracked with the faintest 'pop'. Ryuk's head snapped around to see if Light was doing anything that would be of any interest to him but he was poorly mistaken. The ex-detective reached out for his coat and covered himself, pulling the collar over his neck for warmth. "Coming, Ryuk?" he questioned. It was more of a beacon saying, "We're leaving now," instead of an actual question. The Shinigami caught onto this quickly, wings unfolding from his back as he followed suit out the door. Light turned, locking it securely. There wasn't anything of real importance in there but he preferred to lock it. If anyone tried to get in, they'd have to unlock it. He'd know if they were there. _It's always useful to know if someone has been intruding upon your things. It could be a sign of being watched_, he told himself with a not-so-fond memory bubbling up. It was dismissed immediately.

Light walked home, taking the normal, every-day routine of buying an apple for Ryuk, smiling and waving at his many adoring followers, not forgetting to take a left on Tsuki Street, and finally pushing his way through bundles of flowers to get to his door. It was a small building almost but he used if for many purposes. The living part of the home was in the upper floors while work related offices were found on the lower levels. Upon opening his door, he found a myriad of maids standing in a long queue. They bent their waists and bowed low to him murmuring, "Welcome home, Kira-sama."

He chuckled lightly, making a few blush. "I told you all that you didn't have to work so late," he cooed, making a few look up and make eye contact. They melted when he looked at them boldly.

"Ah, but Kira-sama, we love to work for you!" spoke one. She was originally from Germany. Her long, blond hair spilled in curls over her chest neatly and her pale, blue eyes glimmered with joy at Light's appearance. Her accent was as thick as her love for him but just like her love, Light managed to pick through it. She seemed embarrassed about her sudden outburst.

"As you wish," he replied, waving them off and moving toward the stairs. He gave an especially sweet look to the German maid before sweeping up the stairs gracefully. Her eyes followed him until he was out of sight. The maids all looked at her, squealing with delight.

"That was so amazing that I'm not even as jealous as I should be! Did you see the way Kira-sama looked at you? He must take a fancy to beautiful foreign girls!" one cheered, lightly punching the frozen German girl. She broke a smile, shuddering in delight.

Light reached his room. It was spacious yet confined. It had a desk, closet to fit papers, folders and bins, a bed, a computer and a bookshelf. His bed was opposite to the window and the desk was next to the bed opposite the door. He had set it up himself and felt rather comfortable in it most of the time. Tonight, however, an eerily cold breeze set itself over the room and made his lungs solid.

Ryuk noticed how tense he was and smiled devilishly, "Is it that girl? Do you like her, Light? Huh? Are you into foreign girls with gold hair?" He teased the human to no end. The black Death God sighed heavily when Light didn't reply much less seem to hear him at all. His eyes were staring distantly out the window, fixated on absolute nothingness within a never ending void. Then, with a small groan, he left the room to chase the unsuspecting women around the house.

_I wonder if you're resting peacefully, Ryuzaki. It must be hard watching Kira be God on Earth. You've impressed me and many times outdone me. For that, I suppose the least I can do is hope you're doing alright in the afterlife_, Light thought. He was aware of what he was thinking because he was analyzing each word carefully. He didn't care this time. It was safe, even healthy, that he let the stress go. Even if it was within the barriers of his own skull. "Ryuzaki…" Light sighed aloud. It was a fake name, he knew, but it was the one he grew most attached to.

His eyes grew heavy, his vision blurry, and his thoughts slowly became as scrambled as a group of children playing tag. They were all over the place and, at time, off the wall. He finally stripped of most clothing and slipped under his sheets. The coldness did not leave, even under here, but he drifted into a sleep carelessly.

"_Light-kun…"_

After what seemed like hours, Light snapped up, eyes flying around the room. Who said that? It defiantly wasn't Ryuk. Where was he anyway? Why was he worried?

The coldness was upon him like a blanket of snow now. Gripping his arms and rubbing them for warmth, he moved out of bed and dressed quickly. His door was flung open and his feet carried him down stairs. The maids had left and everything was silent. It was still… unmoving and lifeless. It was an odd lifelessness, though. It was as if time had stopped and the order of life ceased moving completely.

"_Light-kun!"_

He gasped, spinning around. Nothing. No one. But he didn't believe that. Sensing something, somewhere, he began to reluctantly search the house for a living organism of any kind. Light found nothing. He wasn't satisfied with this. The God flipped over furniture, tossed dishes aside and tore up whatever he could to find the source of this voice.

A realization suddenly swallowed him and filled him with dread. Testing this, he slammed a cabinet shut.

Just as he thought… Just as he feared.

No noise.

Light's hand shakily moved away from the small door. Had he died in his sleep? Had he been assassinated only to wake up in limbo?

With this thought going through his head, he turned to see everything he had tampered with was back to its original place. It was as though he was never there. Maybe it was because he never really was? No, this couldn't be… could it?

"Ryuk!" he shouted, "Ryuk! Where are you?!"

Light's eyes dilated with frustration and fear. He ran back upstairs into his room in search for the Death God. He slipped slightly in his rush but managed to conquer the stairs, burst down the hall and knock his bedroom door open and nearly off of its hinges. He knew right away that Ryuk wasn't there but what he noticed even quicker than that was that his window was open.

Hadn't it been closed?

Light moved toward it carefully before placing his fingers over the rim and shutting it closed. A small 'click' and it was locked. Incompetent maids. Didn't they realize he was cold?

His fears, oddly enough, calmed and he turned around to face his bed.

He did not face his bed.

In fact, Light was facing a pair of deep, emotionless eyes. Only a moment had to pass for everything to register in his brain. Pupils shrinking and mouth opened to his jaw's fullest extent, he let out a roar of horror. He fell back, grabbing the window and attempting to open it. His mind was blind with shock, forgetting that he had only _just_ locked it.

"_Light-kun… Please, look at me…"_


	4. Ghost

_Sorry this took so long! Hu hu hu! We're getting into the corners of Light's mind now. And who remembers what he's been pushing to those corners, hmm? Well, let's continue! No time to chat!_

Light stopped trying to push the window open but he was still sweating in alarm. His slippery fingers, clammy and shaking, removed themselves from the window sill. With a strenuous effort, he forced his body to rotate and his eyes to focus on what was before him. They must have been lying to him. He didn't believe what he saw. However, he felt silly when the eyes watching him back didn't have a look of harm in them. Was he over reacting? Didn't he expect this to happen?

Light leaned against the glass, a hand on his heart and the other grasping the frame. No words came from either of the beings. Their gazes were locked together like their wrists had been years ago. Days appeared to have elapsed in place of minutes at that moment. Light didn't know what to say in a situation like this. He wondered if this ghost would be with him all night. Then he wondered if he would be followed until he died by the ghastly figure sitting strangely on his bed.

Finally, he stole a profound breathe and said, "L."

L smiled serenely, eyes softening. But his attempt at a calm demeanor failed him when sadness twinkled in his otherwise empty eyes. The only difference in his appearance at all was that the bags under his eyes were no longer there. Though his hair was unkempt, it was clean and feathery in show. His pale skin had a bit more color and he seemed more alive while dead than he had been living.

His legs slipped away from his chest and his feet touched the floor instead of the mattress. He made no noise as he moved since he wasn't physically adding pressure to the bed or touching anything at all. Light could see him clearly even though he was almost completely transparent. He caught every glimpse of emotion on L's face.

"Light-kun," he replied clearly, staring at the floor now. "I'm… disappointed…" he murmured, a forlorn smile still on his lips. He had more to say so Light did not answer. "I wanted you to be Kira so that I could end the killing," he continued after a small pause, "but… I wanted you not to be Kira because you seemed so innocent. You were my friend. You were my equal. Now, you are my enemy and you are better than I am."

"_Was_," commented Light, giving a tiny sneer.

L's head snapped up and he glared at Light. It was a frightening sight. "You're still not justice to these people. They praise and adore the intentions in you Light but it is fear that controls them. They are afraid of you killing them as well. They are afraid of you killing their children, family and friends. But it's too late now, isn't it? You will not rid the world of evil, Light-kun. You are challenging it. You're making it stronger. I know about the underground crimes and unlike you, I know exactly how to get rid of them. It's a shame I'm not with you in order to help you, isn't it, _Kira_? Might I remind you that innocent men have no reason to cover their tracks? That's what made me follow you, Light-kun. You were too innocent. You covered everything you did and you were riddled with secrets. You told me that you wanted to prove you were not Kira so that I could erase you from being a suspect quicker. In the long run, that constant game of chase made me suspect you more and put you under surveillance longer. That's how I knew you were lying. You were always lying…"

L bit his lip, clenching his fists and curling his toes. "I was not your friend, Light-kun. We were not partners and you were never my equal."

Light pitied how defeated L looked now. The spirit sat as still as a statue, tight with anger and loss. The darkness in him enthralled upon it. A deranged side of him laughed and wanted to hurt L further. It wanted to see him on the floor limp and dieing again. It wanted to feel his skin go cold and his eyes to shut. The darkness wanted to see it all again…

"You still insist on calling me 'Light-kun' instead of 'Yagami'. Are you sure you still don't see me as a friend, L?" Light inquired. Half of him wanted to know the answer. The other half wanted to see L think about this, sadness growing on his face. It took all he had to try and erase those thoughts.

"You were _my_ friend, Light-kun," he replied slowly. It looked like the words tasted bitter on his sweet-loving tongue. "You were." He picked up his hands, letting his fingers uncurl so that he could plainly observe his palms. He could see the floor beneath them with the slight shade of his skin color mixed against the dark blue carpet.

"Then it went according to plan," Light retorted, moving from the window to sit next to the detective. The bed creaked under his weight. There was noise again. This was a comforting event which made Light relax more.

"You wanted to gain my trust… I'm ashamed to say that you prevailed," L chuckled wretchedly. "I knew you were Kira when I began to trust you. That's what Kira would want above all… the trust of L…"

They were silent now. There was nothing further to say.

But L decided against that. He made a new subject. Facing Light, he began, "Do you know what happened, Light-kun? Why I became so unattached to the world?" Light shook his head. It was obvious that L had caught his attention. He grinned lightly once more, turning to see passed the window across the room. With a far-off look, he went on, "I learned at an early age that ties were dangerous. As soon as I felt the strings around my heart slice and tug with the loss of my family, I knew that it was not safe to ever grow attached again. I taught myself how to proceed without the aid of partners. Even so, I still gained the adoration of Watari as I came to respect him. In the end, when I was offered the chance to become 'L', he requested to be of assistance. I knew that without Watari, things would be difficult.

"I chanced a relationship once more and never lived to regret it. Others, however, could never get to me. They couldn't know my name, age, sex, location, birthplace, hair color, weight or height. No one could know anything about me. This wasn't only because it was for my general safety but because I did not trust anyone with any of that information.

"Until you came, Kira. You forced everything important from me and broke down my barriers. Now, I'm here realizing how careless it was of me. By moving myself closer to you in hopes to bring you out, I was stabbed in the back. Isn't that right?" L pulled his legs up to his chest again, head resting upon his knees. He looked awfully disheartened with the one-sided conversation. "Like trying to catch a snake head on," he murmured, muffled by his legs against his lips.

"I'm not a snake," answered Light quietly, shivering from the chilly air around him. The spirit next to him kept the room refrigerated; it was cold and still everywhere in the house. L did not reply. He was concentrating on the floor, eyes plastered to the unmoving threads that kept the floor soft. "I'm…" Light tried, attempting to process his personality and actions into an animal or object of some sort. He couldn't.

Instead, Light put a hand out and swiped a hair away from L's face. It was strange feeling. L felt like a freezing, solid mist. At the same time, his hair was soft and clean, unlike it ever had been. The touch made the deceased detective blinked, his trance broken, and faced Light hopefully. "I'm…" Light retried, "Sorry. I'm sorry, L."

"About what, Light-kun? You won…" L responded, a notable interest growing behind his dark eyes.

The brunette grinned, secretly relieved to see L lighten up. "You didn't deserve to die like that. You were brilliant and had a lot to give. It's too bad you were after me. I'd have never dreamed of killing such a promising mind."

L chuckled, beaming toward his friend. "You act as though you are older than me, Light-kun…"

Before either could continue talking, a thundering loud noise boomed outside of the window. It shook the silent house and made Light stumble off of the bed. As he stood, a louder, stronger boom blew the window out and made the floor crumble in the corners. "Ryuzaki!" he hollered, grabbing the side of the bed to steady himself. L's eyes softened into a forlorn expression. He floated away from the bed, heading for the window. "Ryuzaki!" Light repeated louder, unwilling to release the bed.

He turned slightly. Light's mouth opened faintly, agape with surprise. L looked almost exactly like he had in the rain the day he died. A thoughtful, lost look. He seemed as though he was getting ready to die again. Then he said, "You're evil, Kira. You've killed many people, a handful of innocent people and many years ago you killed a good man named Yagami Light. I hope you take comfort sitting in that shell, snuggly murdering anyone who opposes you or your distorted view on justice.

"Goodbye."

With that, L faded away as he escaped through the open window just as a third boom shook the house and made the floor crumble. "RYUZAKI!" Light screamed, falling into a bitter, arctic cold oblivion. A hand reached out, grabbing his arm with sword-like nails biting into his flesh…

That is, until his eyes shot open and his body jolted up. Normally, people would wake up from a nightmare sweating and out of breathe. But Light was cold, clammy and gasped as though he hadn't been breathing at all. It was still dark out…

"Are you okay, Kira-sama?"

He looked over. The blond maid had her hand around his fore-arm, gripping him tightly. A worried expression on her face, she said, "Was it a bad dream?"

He took note of the time. Three in the morning. Jerking his arm back, he rubbed the tiredness from his eyes. "Why are you still here?" he barked, not looking at her directly. She bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Ich wurde gestört. I was troubled… You were making strange noises as the other maids left. I stayed here to make sure you'd sleep well. Then you started screaming. Es tut ich Leid. I'm sorry… I just had to wake you up…" she reacted quickly, bowing low. She spoke fast, forgetting time to time that she was speaking German.

"It's okay… Go home for tonight," he ordered, rubbing his temple.

She nodded curtly, murmuring a quick, "Thank you, Kira-sama," and shuffling out.

"What were you dreaming about, Light?" inquired Ryuk who sat close by, eyes wide with curiosity. He got no answer. Light simply turned in his bed, pulling the covers over him tightly and going back to sleep.

_YAY, chapter three is done! Sorry if that German is bad! I'm no good with it. Ah ha ha. Sorry for the late chapter. I've been busy. Please leave reviews; it helps motivate me! Thank you for reading and watching the story on your alerts! It means sooo much! You're all awesome!_


	5. Doubt

_**Alright, first, I want to apologize for the late, late, late chapter. It's been years, I know! But I've been through so much, please understand. I bet some of you are thinking, "What is this in my mailbox?" Well, I want to again thank everyone who ever reviewed and enjoyed the story thus far. Someone else recently watched the story and it shocked me into realizing that it wasn't fair to ask for reviews for motivation and not work after receiving them. I'm so sorry. Thanks again, everyone! I haven't written a fanfiction in a long time so bare with me!! Enjoy!!**_

Light was looking into a mirror, preparing his image for another speech. It wasn't too important, really. However, this did not stop him from wanting to make a good impression. Nor would he allow "Kira" to be anything less than perfect.

The strange dream with L had come and gone. Likewise, he was thinking less of the dark-eyed man. In the end, he took nothing from the dream other than that it had been an effect from stress.

"Big day, huh?" said Ryuk. He was the only one who wouldn't let the occurrence go. Light's frustrated cries that night had peeked his curiosity and given him hope for something more than busting radicals and business meetings.

"I guess," replied Light with an uninterested air.

"Sind sie bereit zu gehen?" inquired the German maid whose name was revealed to be Raba.

"Yes, I'll be ready in a moment," said Light, glowing. She blushed slightly and began to leave. But her master stopped her, "Rabia, you're looking gorgeous today."

"Vielen dank…" she breathed, tugging the edge of her shirt. She was wearing casual clothes that were simple yet form-fitting. A yellow button-up covered by a soft brown jacket with a black bow. Her chinos hugged her waist and ended mid-shin. Her heels clicked as she hurried out to wait for Light by the car that waited outside.

"Your German's pretty good now, isn't it?" Ryuk snickered.

Light scoffed, "It was never bad to begin with."

"Are you getting serious about her?" the Death God pressed. He acted as though it were a soap opera.

"She's pretty intelligent," replied Light.

"Pretty intelligent or pretty AND intelligent?" laughed the God.

Light smirked, tossing the shinigami a juicy, red apple. "All of the above, it would seem."

Adjusting his tie, Light began to descend the stairs. At the bottom, Rabia had her back turned, waiting for him to stand beside her. He wouldn't need to say a thing; she would follow him obediently as he walked past.

Yet, as he reached the bottom of the flight, her head turned slowly, blond curls keeping her face obscure. He began to get a sick, timorous feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Rabia..?"

"Ready to go? Light-kun?" Her eye appeared from beneath her hair. It wasn't her eye, though… it was dark and lifeless… An unreadable pit that stabbed Light's nerves with an electric sword.

He nearly tripped down the stairs while screaming. Without thinking, he was crawling backwards, slipping and chanting fearfully, "No! No! No!"

At the bottom of the stairs stood L, watching Light stumble with a piercing gaze. He began to climb the steps, coming towards the panicking God who became more frantic the closer he came. "G-Get back…!" he cried as L reached him. Light forced himself to his feet. L silently reached out, his pale hand as frightening as a loaded gun. "I'm God, damn you! I won! I'm God!"

The hand touched his shoulder and he snapped, lunging at the figure and tackling it down the stairs, making sure to cause the dark-haired man to land harshly on his neck against the edge of a step. Light breathed heavily, holding the body down even though it was perfectly still.

A quiet word reached him, "Warum?"

It was German for "why?"

And Light shakily arose in disbelief. A pool of blood ebbed out from under a mass of blond hair. Light stared into a pair of dead, blue eyes that did not stare back. "Rabia? Rabia??"

He knelt down and touched her cheek. Still warm… but chilling. He snapped back, rising to his feet.

Then, he felt rage boiling inside. He spun around and glared into the red eyes that he knew was watching. Ryuk jumped slightly under the power of his gaze.

"You knew!" Light snapped, "Didn't you?! You knew she would die today!"

The shinigami laughed darkly, "Yes, but are you surprised that I didn't tell you? I've said it before, I'm not on your side-"

"Shut up!" Light skirted around the body and immediately got lost in thought. He was planning meticulously, rapidly coming up with ideas.

"You're going to be late," laughed the Death God.

Kira growled in frustration. Then he breathed, regaining his composure. It was true, women were just a waste of time. No matter how beautiful or intelligent or cunning. This woman was no exception. Taking another deep breath, he expertly disposed of the body.

In the conference room, located in his own building, Light readjusted his tie and tamed his hair. The body was gone and in any case, he was Kira! God of the World! If he committed a "murder," who would doubt him? He could say she was an unlicensed whore and then everyone would nod and forget. He could say a lot of things and no one would think anything of it.

The brown-eyed adult cleared his throat and made his way towards the door. As soon as he turned the knob, he burst in with a superior presence and said, "Gentlemen, this is a new world!"

All heads faced him. They were all familiar somehow… The God paled.

Ryuk tilted his head. "Light? Everyone's staring…"

White as a sheet, Light locked eyes with each person. Hirokazu Ukita. Hideki Ide. Kanzo Mogi. Shuichi Aizawa. Touta Masada… Misa Amane… Kayo Takada… Teru Mikami… Mello… Near… And…

At the head of the desk, he reappeared. L's black eyes showing beneath his black hair and Watari standing behind him. "Light…"

He turned to see Soichiro, his father, lay a hand on his shoulder. Light pulled away and snapped, "Get out! All of you get out! I am God! I…!" His eyes locked on L's again. He saw the deceased investigation team rise and come towards him in slow motion in the corner of his eyes but they hazed in comparison to the fierceness of L's star. He began to feel dizzy and stumbled backward. "I'm… I am…" There was the ceiling and the shadows of faces over him. And then darkness… "I am God…"

"Light-kun?"

Light sat up in a setting that was obviously a dream. He was on a bed and around him was nothing but whiteness. Standing out starkly was L, hands in his pockets and wearing his usual slouch.

"Ryuzaki… Damn it… Why won't you leave me alone…?"

The ghost sat next to him. "Because you know you're wrong."

"No," he growled, "I am the only one keeping the world in order! I…!"

"Who are you trying to convince?" grinned L. "Maybe the real reason you wanted to win was simply to win? And yet you haven't defeated your true equal…"

Light gripped L's shoulders and said, "You were my equal and I defeated you!"

"Your equal is no one else but you, Light-kun," Ryuzaki said wisely. "You've been split by doubt and now you're unable to defeat that side of you."

Light slumped. In the barriers of his own mind, he felt it was safe to let go. He angrily flipped the bed and lashed out. L watched as he temporarily went insane. Every bone in his body wanted to deny this. But after all of the years of being God, he couldn't stop thinking of the sacrifices made and the unwise youth that influenced his decision. And yet, he couldn't see how he was wrong. The world was at peace and people worshipped him. He was right. He was Kira. He was God.

"You're wrong," he snapped at L. "You're wrong!"

Ryuzaki appeared before Light and shook his head. "Sometimes, I wonder if I would have eventually cracked?"

"What are you saying? That I can't handle this?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying. After all, a shell is much easier to break than a body, wouldn't you think?"

Light grabbed at L's throat, clutching the tube mercilessly. "I'm not a shell! I didn't kill Yagami Light! I am Light! I am Kira! Just because I changed doesn't mean I'm dead! You're dead! I'm alive! I'm alive!"

L did not flinch. He grabbed Light's hands and gently pushed them away. "You are God, Light. You can change the world."

The killer looked into the soft eyes of the older investigator. "You can change your mind and you can change the world."

"No! I-"

L swept Light into a brief kiss, still grasping his hands and holding their gaze. Light was not shocked. He was still as the chilling lips brushed his own and then departed.

They were lost in the silence, standing inches from each other and refusing the break the peace.

Light finally spoke, "I can't…"

So L replied, "Then you've lost."

Light awoke slowly in a hospital room. Or more like he awoke in a garden.

The entire room was covered in flowers, given to him by his worshippers. Yet, outside was a riot of people shouting. Before he could arise, a doctor entered, smiling.

"Mr. Yagami," he said, "that was much faster than expected! You were out for three days and already there are people wanting us to 'pull the plug.' Of course, seeing as you're not in critical condition, that wouldn't really do anything to you."

"Is that what they're saying?" asked Light quietly.

"Well, yes. Unfortunately. The police will be arriving shortly to-"

Light sat up, interrupting, "Let me see them."

The doctor reluctantly helped Light out of the bed and towards the window where he looked down upon his creations. Yes, without his existence, they would not be there and they would not be radicals. He created them into this image. And he didn't like what he saw. "Ryuzaki…" he breathed.

He came down to see them just as the police arrived. Before they could fend off the young radicals, Light stopped them. Instead, amongst the silence that had fallen, Light grabbed a speaker and addressed his people.

"My people," he started.

"We're not your people, you monster!" someone shouted. The outburst was met with a rain of cheers. But Light continued.

"My people… I…"

In the midst of the radicals, Light could see the ghost of L, watching him even though he could not see those dark eyes behind his mass of black hair.

"Light?" questioned Ryuk.

"I… I've had a dream…"

The Death God smiled as the God of the New World began a new speech, perhaps becoming a new man. And in the crowd, a chill came and went, then was gone forever.

_**Alright, so that's it! I'm sorry that the ending came out like this. I'd really have liked to stretch it longer and make it more detailed, especially since I'm three years more experienced in writing, but I just can't seem to find the love for this story as I did way back when nor can I find the words I wanted to use in order to make a lasting climax and impact.**_

_**But this is now finished and I can move on. Thank you for reading and appreciating this amature story for what it was. I tossed in another small shonen-ai moment so I hope you don't mind. *bow* I will try to write more fanfictions! I hope to see you again when I do!**_

_**-S.**_


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